Welcome to
another edition of Dear Frau. It’s kind of like Dear Abby, except with an
international twist. Remember, if you have a question, don’t hesitate to
contact The Frau.
Dear Frau,
My wife and I
are moving to Switzerland for one year. We are very tech oriented, so the first
thing we want to settle is a cell phone+data plan...
Which
networks should I check? Any chance of making a plan in Germany and using it in
Switzerland? And what do I do if I have an iPhone 5 and need a Nano-SIM?
Thanks,
Data Needy in
CH
Dear Data
Needy in CH,
The Frau
speaks English and conversational German. But your email sounds like it’s in an
entirely different language. Unfortunately The Frau does not speak tech. If you
want proof, have a look at the 2006 Motorola cell phone she still uses in an Orange
pre-pay kind of style.
Hopefully
some fellow yodelers can come to your service by leaving comments below that
directly answer your questions. All The Frau knows is this: it’s almost
impossible to get any kind of phone or data plan without first having
your residence permit.
This is a
cruel joke to play on any newcomer, but it sounds like it will be especially
cruel for you. So plan on visiting a lot of Starbucks to get your Wifi fix and
Skype away the hours while Swiss bureaucracy does its thing.
The reason The
Frau has pre-paid plan in the first place is because it was all the Swiss would
give her while she waited and waited for her official piece of paper that said
she was a permanent resident.
In the end,
The Frau is grateful for her Orange pre-pay SIM as it has probably saved her
thousands of francs in phone bills over the last seven years.
Anyway, the
main phone and Internet service plans in Switzerland include:
Luckily,
unlike when The Frau arrived in 2006, these companies actually have functional websites that converse
in English (much has changed in the last seven years!) so you may find some of your answers there.
But that
being said, fellow yodelers, can you help Data Needy in CH?
